Embodiments of the present invention relate to pylons that couple an externally attached component to an aircraft wing or fuselage. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to aircraft pylons presenting an open structure with modular fire, vapor and fluid barrier components.
An aircraft pylon secures an aircraft engine, typically a high-bypass engine, to an aircraft wing or fuselage. The pylon performs a number of critical functions such as supporting the engine, fairings and systems, providing a fire and vapor barrier between the engine and the wing or fuselage, transmitting the engine thrust to the airplane, supporting the engine nacelle and thrust reverser in the optimum aerodynamic location, and the like.
A typical pylon may include nearly a hundred parts, which may be held together by thousands of fasteners. Assembling the pylon may involve drilling hundreds of holes for coupling the parts together as well as applying extensive corrosion protection and sealing joints and fasteners. The strength of the materials required for the pylon may make the drilling process difficult and time consuming. Furthermore, the use of mechanical fasteners may require considerable overlapping of the joining surfaces which adds to the overall weight and cost of the pylon. Thus, the production of aircraft engine pylons from a large number of joined-together components is time and labor intensive with a high part count and corresponding high cost.
Airplane pylons constructed according to traditional techniques present other limitations as well. For example, inspection of such pylons may be difficult or expensive, and repairs may be costly as damage to one part of the pylon may affect other parts, and require replacement of most or all of the pylon.
One approach to alleviate some of these problems involves using an open type of pylon primary structure, such as a space frame or truss, which eliminates some of the problems outlined above, such as the need for extensive drilling and fastening. However, such open structures do not provide the fire protection and fluid containment functions provide by traditional, closed pylon structures.
Accordingly, there is a need for a device which overcomes the limitations described above.